Operating mechanism for automatic telephones



24, 1932- w. H. FITCH OPERATING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATC TELEPHONES Filed Feb. 24, 1930 jwuwntoc 72 F6667) Patented May 24, 1932 UNITED STATES WILLIAM HUBERT FITCH, OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS OPERATING MECHANISM ron UTOM IC rnnnrnoivns Application filed February 24, 1930. Serial No. 431,023.

This invention relates to actuating mechanisms for automatic telephones, and has for an object the production of a device adapted to be associated with the impulse controlling organization of any usual and ordinary automatic telephone, of the dial type, and to furnish a manual operating device which shall replace the disk and provide an organization more easily manipulated.

A further object of the invention is to provide a slide, carrying the necessary numeration, said slide, in its reciprocation turning the same stud or pintle, to which the dial is ordinarily attached and in the same manner both as to progression and return.

A further object of the invention is to provide a structure which will be attached to the base of a telephone, of the usual and ordinary dial type, and replacing the dial, ofi'er means for applying the necessary manual movements to the impulse mechanism, by the mere movement of the finger of the operator in right lines.

With these andother objects in view, the invention comprises, the combination of new and novel parts, structures, arrangements, movements and functions, as will behereinafter more fully shown, described and claimed, together with all mechanical and functional equivalents thereof.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a view of the invention in side elevation, attached to a conventional telephone.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view, with the top plate removed.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view, taken on line 33 of Fig. 2. 7

Like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The invention which forms the subject matter of the present application, is adapted to be attached and applied to anyusual and ordinary automatic telephone, of the dial type,

and there hasbeen shown in the drawings, merely byway of illustration, a conventional telephone base A, with housing B, for containing the impulse contact mechanisms of any type, with a stud C, to which in the usual .and ordinary practice, the dial is attached.

In applying the mechanism of the present .inv entiomthe dial is removed or omitted, and in its stead a pinion 10, is employed, which maybe secured in any approved manner as by the nut 11. Attached to the housing B is a plate 12, preferably set at an inclination to the plane of the base, and upon this plate a rack bar18, is mounted to slide, by theemploymento'f any type of guides of other limiting structure. The rack bar 13 carries gear teeth 14, interengaging with the teeth of the pinion 10, so that as the rack bar 13 is manually reciprocated, thepinion 10 and the connected stud C, are moved in a rotary manner, any means being employed, as is customary in the art, to return the parts, when manual stress is released, the spring 15, being shown not as any limitation. I

1 To facilitate the correct manipulationof the rack 13, finger receptacles, corresponding merely to indicate an operative structure and to the number of numerical digits, are provided by the abutments 16, the receptacles being properly numerated for convenience.

. 1 To perform the necessary steps successfully, a stop-must be provided for limiting the movement of the rack at each manual movement, "corresponding to the amplitude of movement of the stud C to makethe necessary impulse contacts. For this purpose a plate 17 is attached to the plate 12, and spaced therefrom in any approved manner, spacers 18, being shown merely as illustrative, and screws 19, similarly shown for rigid attachment. The plate 12, also acts as a guide for maintaining the rack 13 in position.

In operation, the finger of the operator is placed ag ainst the abutment 16, indicated by the numeral appearing in thenumber to be called, the finger together with the rack 13 is now moved toward the plate 17 and until the finger makes contact with that plate, Whereupon, the finger being removed, the rack is returned to initial position, by the spring 15, or some equivalent recoil mechanism, and the movement repeated for the next and subsequent digits in the number being called.

I claim:

1. The combination With a telephone transmitting organization embodying a rotatable impulse controllinglpart, a pin-ionmounted upon the, rotatable part, a sliding rack interengaging the pinion, and means ,to .apply manual stress to move the rack.

2. The combination-with'a telephone transmitting organization ,emhodying .a rotatable impulse controlling part, a pinion mounted upon the rotatable part,..:a rack in engagement with the pinion, means providing a longitudinal; sliiiingnnoveinent ;forithe rack, and mumerated rabutments on .said :rack :for

- digitat engagement;

3. [Fhe ucombination with a :telephone :or-

, ganization iembodying a rotatable impulse controllingpart,a-slideadaptedrto be;manually zmoved ;-and :means for converting zthe sliding movementiof ath'e slide .into :rotary movement of {the rotatable :part, said slide :beingprovided Wlth ma ilongitudinal series of :abutments ffOI! digital operation.

14. The combination "with :a telephone organization embodyingza {rotatable impulse controlling part, pinionwmounte'd uponi-the rotatable 'part )fO'I' imparting :rotary move- :mcnt :thereto, a :-.slidable :rack interengaging said pinion 'means :providing a longitudinal sliding movement wforrsaid rack,.-said rack being provided with:abutmentsaarranged Fin longitudinal: series thereon and win staggered relation.

5. A device zforrattachmentt to: a itelephone instrument comprising a rotatable zimpulse controlling :element, =a ,fpinion for irotatin'g said element, a slidableirackimounted :for'enggagement with: said pinion for irotating .the same upon reciprocation of :said rack and spring means for returning said "parts zto :in'tia'hposition,

6. A device 'for attachment rto :a (telephone instrument comprising: a :housingcontaining :rotatabledmpu'lse controllingrmeans,ra;pini on mounted on.- saidimeans aacasingmountedon said housing and enclosing-said pinion and provided with guiding means for :a tslid-able :rack, a slidable rack mountediniand guided by said casing and in operative iengagement with said pinion.

In .testimony -whereof :I: afiix my signature.

WILLIAM ,HnBEnT .FITGH. 

